Benin: why Louis Vlavonou is absent from the first list of Senate members

As a former president of the National Assembly, he does meet, at first glance, one of the fundamental criteria set out in the revised Constitution of 2025, which grants de jure membership to former presidents of Parliament who have served at least half of their term.

The most plausible explanation for this absence lies in a strict interpretation of Article 113-4 of the fundamental law. This constitutional provision explicitly states that “senators cannot be either actors or political partisans. They are subject to the obligation of political reserve.” However, to this day, Louis Vlavonou still holds the position of an active deputy and remains an active member of the ruling party, the Union Progressiste le Renouveau (UP-R).

This dual role of elected official and active party member clearly distinguishes him from other former presidents of the Republic or of the National Assembly announced, who no longer hold any current elective mandate. It is worth noting here that Boni Yayi resigned from his position as president of a political party.

As long as he retains his legislative mandate and partisan activities, his presence in the Senate would therefore directly conflict with the requirement for neutrality and political reserve imposed by the texts in the upper chamber. However, it is important to observe this situation with caution, as the Constitution does not literally specify that a former president of the National Assembly loses their status as a de jure member if they are a deputy or affiliated with a party.

In the absence of any official clarification from the authorities, the incompatibility related to Article 113-4 remains the most solid legal reasoning to justify this temporary withdrawal, pending the publication of implementing texts or an official communication.